A state of emergency has been declared in New York City and New Jersey as a powerful storm system hits the US east coast from New York to Washington DC, with dangerous torrential rainfall and flash flooding under way in the region.
Forecasters had predicted intense rainfall, with rates possibly reaching up to 3 inches an hour and some isolated locations could see as much as 5 to 8 inches.
New York City officials warned that heavy rain could flood some streets, parts of the subway and basements. They urged people living in basements to move to higher floors and issued an advisory asking New Yorkers to avoid travel from Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon.
The Clearview Expressway, a major highway in the borough of Queens, was closed in both directions, and at least two cars were submerged on the expressway, a law enforcement official told CNN. The commuter rail system into suburban Long Island suspended service on one of its busiest lines during rush hour.
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